The textile industry is among the biggest industries in the entire world and is worth over $1.3 trillion! It employs over 300 million people all over the world, but when it comes to sustainability and minimizing the carbon footprint, there is a lot that this industry doesn’t adhere to.
The sad fact is that the textile industry generates over 20,000,000 tons of waste every year and is the second-largest pollutant on the planet with the oil industry holding first place. The fast fashion industry demands quick manufacturing and shipment methods, and to cater to the demands of different markets, many products are made with cheap materials like polyester.
Tons and tons of clothing landing in waste fields are causing a serious threat to the well-being of the planet. It takes over 2,000 years for the planet to decompose polyester! Can you imagine the negative impact the textile industry alone is causing the world?
Thankfully, with greater awareness, the newer generations have started to become conscious about what they are buying and wasting. Many prefer to buy from ethical and eco-friendly companies.
Eco-fashion companies can help the environment by participating in the circular economy. Not too many are aware of the circular economy, and we explore the concept in-depth to understand the basic process.
The circular economy principle states that a business should produce regenerative and restorative products. Circular fashion is created using a sustainable consumption and production model in which products and materials are retrieved, recycled, and repurposed, reducing pollution and waste.
Little does the textile industry in the United States know that if they apply circular fashion, they’ll be tapping into trillions of dollars worth of revenue and give rise to many new industries. Textile companies should start implementing the circular economy ASAP, as more and more consumers now prefer spending their money on sustainable goods.
With the recover, recycle, and repurpose strategy, clothing items will hardly ever end up in landfills, dramatically reducing their carbon footprint on the planet. To implement the circular fashion model into their business, companies will have to pay attention to these specific areas:
- Inputs that are safe, renewable, and sustainable.
- A business representation that will encourage customers to make the most out of their clothing.
- Ways for repurposing old garments into new ones.
Implementing circular fashion will require companies to provide affordable, high-quality, and customized clothing accessible to whoever needs them. The clothing should be durable so consumers can get the most use out of them.
Once it is time to discard the clothing, it can be easily recycled into new pieces of fashion. Furthermore, to run such operations, companies should use renewable energy sources, reducing pollution as much as possible. This is how textile companies can embrace a circular economy:
- Companies will have to design better quality clothes so that consumers can keep using them.
- Offer clothes for rent. This practice is increasing in popularity and is an innovative idea for an eco-friendly business.
- Produce durable and high-quality clothing.
- Make reselling of clothes a trend.
- Encourage consumers to care for their clothing.
The circular economy is a proven strategy to show an immediate and positive impact on the planet. Along with the textile companies, we as individuals should also start acting responsibly in the consumption of fast fashion and embrace a minimalistic lifestyle to protect Mother Earth from the extreme damage our demands and large-scale businesses have caused over the years. It is time to act now.
